b'gold standardoptimismSky-high Resene ReseneHappy WewakReseneScrumptiousUplifting artwork reaches new heights onleft: Will says that the colour design a prominent Sydney apartment building. process for the project was surprisingly A t a time when Sydney needs it most, an inspiringafter WWII ended in France. The cornerstone of eachWhen Covid-19 struck, I felt the community neededfewyears,theyveworkedalongsidemanynotableAbout Festival programming. I have had friends enterstraightforward and his initial colour palette was new mural titled As One Door Closes, Anotherstructure was a tall, open, aluminium door that allowedembraced with open Opens has been unveiled at a prominent junctionlight and air to pass through freely. In this instance,arms. I provided three near Sydneys Kings Cross Station. Mere metres awayfunction followed form completely. separate colour choices, fromtheiconicCocaColasign,theradiantartworkIve been influenced by the power of colour and howa reintroduction to what the City of Sydney has to offer,contemporary artists like Reko Rennie, Ash Keatingprojects over the years and each spoke very highly ofwith one marked as covers what was previously a blank white wall on the sideit can transform ones emotional and physical experienceboth physically and metaphorically. Given that Top of theand Nadia Hernandez, he says. their individual experience. As a result, I pitched quitemy preference. Given the project was about of the 18 storey Top of the Town apartment building. of space, he continues. I hope that the artwork acts asTown is so culturally rich and is literally at the top of theWhen it came to paint application, Will reached outliterally the biggest idea I could muster and thankfullyembodying progression Theworkismulti-disciplinaryartistanddesignera visual olive branch to the public, drawing them backtown, my project found its ideal home. to experienced and trusted assistants Jarryd Lynagh,got through. There were three rounds of submissionsand positivity, my Will Cookes most significant project to date; one thatinto the city for revitalisation and giving them space forWillsayshechosetouseReseneproductsforVieri Landini and James Lesjak-Atton for help. Weand roughly 700 applicants. Im still pinching myselfproject manager at the he hopes will encourage the citys communities to re- contemplation. The work is for the Sydney public of alltheir outstanding coverage and the quality of coloursinitially set about the wall with 270mm wide rollers,thatIwasgiventheopportunitytorealisealongCity of Sydney, Liza engagewithalltheeccentricitiesandopportunitiesages and demographics, and I see it as a portal into aavailable. When choosing the colour scheme for mybut the surface was so heavily rendered that the rollerhoped for goal. Bahamondes, agreed that Sydney has to offer. Its design is comprised of twomore positive and energised post-pandemic future. project,Iwantedacolourpalettethatwasalmostcovers would skip over the bumpsmaking it veryIfyouhaveabigideayoufeelisntpossibletothe colours needed to be almost obnoxious doors, painted in swathes of saturated Resene coloursThe building itself has an interesting history withinobnoxiousinitspositivity.Eachmajorcolouroftricky to get the colour down. As a result, we paintedactualise, there are ways and means to get your projectin their positivity. that appear to open and close in geometric perpetuity.the local community. It was originally called the Topthemuralrepresentsadifferentkeythemeofthethe entire space using smaller 160mm rollers. going, encourages Will. Never in a million years did IVivid yellow and pinks, The influence behind it draws on the simplest ofof the Cross Motel and housed an infamous nightclubproject. For example, Resene Scrumptious representsThough many depend on painters masking tapethink my artwork would be gracing the side of a majorResene Happy, Resene utilitarianobjects:thecommondoor.Notjustanyuntil the late 90s. In 1980, Tropicana Caf opened atengagement,ReseneWewakisforresilienceandto ensure crisp edges, very little was used on thispublic building in the heart of Kings Cross, watchingScrumptious and Resene door, though; this opening refers to the progressivethe base of the building and housed the first TropicanaResene Happy is for acceptance. Resene allowed meproject. Wills talented team produced most of theover the Coca Cola sign. It sounds corny, but it really isWewak, covered the designs of modernist architect Jean Prouve, explainsShort Film Festival. This evolved into Tropfesttheto achieve these messages with absolute clarity. designs sharp lines through a combination of chalka dream come trueand Im so chuffed that my projectlargest areas.Will. Prouve designed a suite of demountable buildingsworlds largest short film festival, which is still operatingAfter much research, it was Resene Lumbersiderand careful precision. is already being embraced the way it was intended.Resenein 1944 to combat the shortage of immigrant housingtoday, says Will. waterborne low sheen that offered the qualities heTobehonest,itwasthechoicetouseReseneRum Swizzlewas after in a paint formula. I sampled lots of otherthatallowedmyprojecttogochallenge-free,andFor more information on the City of Sydneys Art and AboutResenepaint brands before deciding, and Resene was a cutwe actually completed the project ahead of scheduleprogramme, visit www.artandabout.com.au. Twilightleft: Will used Resene Lumbersider to create his mural, titled As One DoorResene Resene above the rest. as a result. The project was initially expected to takeReseneCloses, Another Openswhich won a Resene Total Colour Commercial ExteriorSouthern Cross Melanie The project was also a great opportunity for Willtwo weeks, but we completed it a lot quicker than wedesign Will Cooke, Confederate GreyColour Maestro Award. Since it faces full sunlight at all hours of the day, weResene Resene tocollaboratewithElliottandBillieRoutledge,theoriginally thought. It ended up taking only 48 hourswww.instagram.com/williamcookestudio Resenewere after a hardwearing yet bright and punchy exterior-appropriate acrylic.Supernova Glorious husband-and-wife duo behind Funstudio. Elliott andover 6 days to get the job done. painting Will Cooke, Jarryd Lynagh, Vieri Landini,Tropical BlueTo create the illusion of a door opening and closing in perpetuity, Will chose aResene Resene I have been friends for over 10 years and working withFor those eager to spread a message and make theirJames Lesjak-Attonpalette of Resene Southern Cross, Resene Supernova, Resene Hit Pink, ReseneHit Pink Glamour Puss ReseneGlorious, Resene Glamour Puss, Resene Smitten, Resene Scrumptious, ReseneFunstudio has been a longtime goal. Their main role ismark through public art, Will offers some optimisticproduction Funstudio, www.afunstudio.com CharlotteWewak, Resene Cupid, Resene Melanie, Resene Twilight, Resene ConfederateResene Resene to facilitate public art projects as producers, assistingadvice. The City of Sydney puts out a tender eachproject management Liza Bahamondes, City of Sydney ReseneGrey, Resene Tropical Blue, Resene Charlotte and half strength Resene Spray. Cupid Smitten in all aspects leading up to activation. Over the pastyear for various public art projects under their Art andimages Chris Southwood, City of Sydney Spray24 blackwhitemag.com blackwhitemag.com 25'